


In the Dark

by Cal Blackwood (orphan_account)



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Fluff, Kissing, Multi, bisexual sonny, the original character isn't the main relationship dw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-21 05:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9532646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Cal%20Blackwood
Summary: Sonny is bisexual. He realized a few weeks ago. The weight of the secret is killing him, but not as much as the weight of having a crush on his best friend.Everything spills over the course of a few days. From being kicked out of Pete's apartment to running away and hiding with a friend from school, Sonny's life is a bit of a mess.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is only going to have a few (long-winded) chapters, as I don't want to have to keep up any more long chaptered fics. However, the planning is loose so I'm not sure how many chapters it'll take up. Probably 3-5.

"Sonny, get in here!" Sonny jumps at the sudden loud voice. He looks up at the door to his bedroom and lets out a small sigh. He hadn't been feeling well lately, though he knew it wasn't because of a bug going around the bodega. There's some sort of weight on his shoulders; commonly known as being in the closet. Sonny knows that he's bisexual, he's known ever since he got more invested in the LGBT+ community online. Not only is he bisexual, he also has a crush on his best friend. In this case, "crush" is an understatement. Usnavi knows none of this. Nobody knows of any of this. That alone is weighing down on Sonny like a ton of bricks. Along with that, there's the pressing doubt of how his family and friends would react if he ever were to come out. When the news about Jose and Julio got out, Sonny had seen his friends shaking their heads and wrinkling their noses. He really, really hopes that they were disappointed about Julio cheating on his girlfriend and not Julio being bisexual (like himself).

" _Sonny!_ " Usnavi's voice snaps Sonny out of his thoughts and he hurries out of his bedroom. 

"Whaddya want?" Sonny asks once he reaches the kitchen. Usnavi looks up, holding a small piece of paper, ready to chew Sonny out for not charging Pete for his slushies. He stops, however, once he sees the bags under Sonny's eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Usnavi asks. There's concern in his voice.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that same question?" Sonny responds, trying not to sound tired. "I'm fine. What's up?"

Usnavi doesn't look entire convinced. He drops the subject anyways, and Sonny internally sighs with relief.

"You're not charging Graffiti Pete for his slushies," Usnavi tells him, his tone gentler than before. "You gotta start charging him."

"You don't charge Vanessa for her coffee," Sonny retorts.

"Vanessa is my girlfriend, Son'."

"But still, it's not like I have five best friends who never get charged for anything. You have someone who doesn't get charged, why can't I? We ain’t on the edge of financial ruin anymore."

Usnavi sighs, exasperated. "I know I won't be able to stop you when I'm not in the shop. But when I'm there, that vandal better have money on him."

"Fine." Sonny's phone buzzes in his pocket and he leans against the counter as he checks the message. "Hm. Speaking of Pete, I'm gonna be out with him later today."

Usnavi frowns. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it? You look like you didn't get any sleep."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just had a rough night."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Anxiety bubbles in Sonny's stomach. "Not really."

"Okay, but remember that no matter what, I'll always do my best to understand."

"Thanks cuz." Sonny smiles at his cousin and leaves to get dressed. He's still in his pajamas, despite the fact that it's one in the afternoon. This would've been another red flag for Usnavi, if it weren't a habit of Sonny's to wake up way past noon on weekends. The previous night had been different, though. For some reason, Sonny's doubts and worry had been amplified. He'd hardly gotten three hours of sleep.

\--

"Sonny, over here!" Sonny turns at his friend's voice. A grin works its way onto his face once he sees Pete, leaning against the apartment building's wall. His backpack is slung over his shoulder, with his hat hanging from one of his belt loops. His tank top is cut low and hangs loosely from his shoulders, not leaving much to the imagination--  
Sonny mentally slaps himself, scolding his subconscious. He greets Pete and the two decide to go to his apartment to escape the heat.

"Finally, we're outta the flames of hell," Sonny says once he's through the door. Pete turns up the air conditioning and tosses his backpack onto the small, slightly ratty couch.

"What are you doin' in a t-shirt, man? You must be burning up," Pete says as he walks into his bedroom. He comes back and tosses Sonny a tank top. The front of it has a slightly messy design painted on of a sun over multicolored waves.

"Nice design," Sunny mentions as he rubs his thumb over the fabric, soft from being washed over and over. He looks up at Pete and cocks one eyebrow. Pete is still looking at him, seemingly oblivious. "Uh... Can you turn around?"

"Oh! Right, sure," Pete stammers slightly and quickly spins around to face the wall. Sonny changes shirts and drops his damp t-shirt on the couch next to Pete's bag.

"I'm good," Sonny says once he's done. Pete turns around and looks like he's suppressing a smile. "What?"

"Nothin', I just like seeing my design on someone."

The two spend the afternoon watching TV and relaxing in the air conditioning. At one point, Pete looks over at Sonny with an odd look on his face. Sonny glances at him and tilts his head to the side questioningly.

"How have you been?" Pete asks. "Be honest."

Sonny frowns and stares intently at the television screen. He wants to tell someone so badly, but at the same time his doubts drown out any optimism. His stomach twists as Pete puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"Sonny?"

"It's nothing," Sonny hears himself saying. "Just..." He trails off as his leg starts bouncing up and down. He doesn't risk looking back at Pete, knowing he'll either see concern or exasperation on his face.

"You know you can tell me anything, right? I'm here for you, man."

Sonny finally looks back at Pete and scoots closer to him, leaning against his friend's side. Pete welcomes him, wrapping his arm around Sonny's shoulders. It feels sweet, domestic almost. Sonny reflects on how close he is with Pete; on how they often end up in this position. In winter, the two would always be snuggled up on the couch at Pete's apartment or sipping hot chocolate at the shop. He's brought back to earth by Pete poking at his side. Sonny reflexively jerks away from the poke and silently curses himself for being so ticklish. Pete cracks a grin and shifts slightly, turning towards Sonny. Before he knows what's going on, Pete is tickling him mercilessly and his incessant worries have left him for the time being. His laughs are breathless and wheezy as he tries in vain to shove Pete off of him, eyes squeezed shut. He ends up on his back with Pete hovering over him. Suddenly the tickling stops, and Sonny takes the moment to catch his breath. He opens his eyes to see Pete staring down at him. There's a fond look in his eyes, something that makes Sonny's heart do a backflip.

"Hey there," Sonny says quietly. He notes how close Pete's face is to his own, as well as how Pete's knees are resting on either side of his legs.

"Hi," Pete responds, equally as quiet. "Ready to tell me what's going on?"

"Oh. Right." Sonny turns his head to the side and gnaws on his lower lip nervously. "Can you let me up?"

"Sure, sorry," Pete says quickly as he sits up and scoots away from Sonny.

"I've been... No, it's more like... I'm-- Sorry, lemme think of what to say." Sonny shuts his eyes and lets out a breath, running through what he'll say. "I've been online a lot, and-- Well first, y'know how the neighborhood doesn't really have that much LGBT+ representation. Everyone is assumed to be straight and cis until they do somethin' to say otherwise. I, personally, was never really taught about different sexualities 'til the news got out about Jose and Julio." The subject of Jose and Julio's relationship brings a whole new wave of anxiety washing over Sonny, and he takes a break to wrap his arms around himself and take a deep breath.

"Uh-huh?" Pete eggs him on gently.

"I think I'm bisexual." It's barely over a whisper. Pete has fallen silent, and Sonny finds it hard to breathe. "I-It's still me, y'know? This won't change things, will it?"

Pete leans towards Sonny and wraps his arm around Sonny's shoulders, reeling him into a tight hug. "Of course not, Sonny. Thank you for telling me," he murmurs. "That was really strong of you."

Sonny lets a few tears spill, now out of relief rather than sadness. He takes a shuddering breath and hugs Pete back. Once the two finally separate, Pete smiles warmly at him.

"You wanna talk some more, or would you rather sleep?" he asks.

"I'd much rather sleep," Sonny admits. The previous night is really catching up to him, especially with the pressure of coming out to someone for the first time. "I'm really fuckin' tired."

Pete chuckles. "That's understandable. Better tell Usnavi you're stayin' here this time."

"Ah, shit. I can't sleep over, it's a school night."

"How much time do you have left in school, a week? Are you really gonna miss anything in one day?"

Sonny looks up at Pete, one eyebrow raised. "You suggesting I should skip tomorrow?"

"Why not?"

Sonny considers for a second, tapping his cell phone against his chin. "Yeah, alright. But if 'Navi finds out he's gonna kill both of us."

"Simple, we just won't go to the bodega."

"Sounds great to me," Sonny mumbles. "Usnavi's onto me. He knows somethin's up."

"Wait 'til you're comfortable to tell him." Pete ruffles Sonny's curls. Sonny would usually push his hand away, but now the gesture is welcome. "That's really all the advice I got for you. If you want me to be with you when you tell him, I'll be there."

"Thanks Pete."

"Any time, Sonshine."

\--

"Sonny, get up! You're late!" Usnavi yells as he rushed past Sonny's room. Sonny is out of bed in a flash, and almost collapses from the headrush. He runs over to his dresser and starts picking out something presentable before remembering he's skipping school today. 

"I'll get myself to school, cuz! Don't worry about me," he calls out the door to Usnavi.

"Alright, have a good day!" Usnavi calls back, and the apartment door shuts. Sonny sits back down on his bed and unplugs his phone from his charger, sending Pete a quick text saying he'll be over in half an hour. He takes a fast shower and gets dresses in record time. Soon he's headed off to Pete's apartment, careful to avoid the bodega and the salon as to not get spotted through the windows. He gets over to Pete's apartment pretty quickly, and meets Pete at the door.

"So, Sonny," Pete says as they get through the door. "Is there a special guy out there? Who helped you realize you're bi?"

Sonny freezes, struggling to think fast. Pete was the guy who really helped him realize, but he can't just say that outright. Pete sits down on the couch and gestures for Sonny to join him. He raises one eyebrow at Sonny's prolonged silence.

"I dunno," Sonny says weakly. "It's-- Y'know, it's confidential."

"Aw, come on! You used to tell me all about your crush on Nina. You'd go on non-stop about her. At least gimme a hint."

_Might as well._

"He's really into art," Sonny says, sitting down beside Pete. He doesn't sit as close as he usually does, so Pete scoots a bit closer.

"Uh-huh, and?"

"Who are you, Daniela?" Sonny teases. "I'm not givin' any more info."

"We'll see about that." Before Sonny can ask what he means like that, Pete's hand are on his side and neck and Sonny is wheezing with laughter.

"God--" _wheeze_ "damn--" _wheeze_ "you!" Sonny pants out. Pete laughs and tips Sonny onto his side, repeating his actions from yesterday. Soon enough, they're in the same position with Sonny on his back and Pete leaning over him. Pete's tickling dies down, and Sonny catches his breath. He stares up at Pete and feels his cheeks and ears heating up. Pete stares back, that same look from yesterday painted all over his face.

"Tell me more about this crush of yours," Pete says quietly.

"He likes to paint," Sonny tells him. "He always smells like paint fumes, and he's always got splotches of paint somewhere on him. He never stops taggin' all the barrio's walls, no matter who yells at him for it."

"What's his name?"

"Take a guess."

Pete grins and one hand comes to rest on Sonny's cheek. Sonny lets his eyes flutter shut as Pete leans in closer. Sonny waits, and waits, and waits, but nothing comes. He feels the weight on the couch shift and opens his eyes to see Pete sitting up and scooting off of him.

"Uh... Pete?" Sonny sits up as Pete frowns at the floor. "What gives?"

"Can you head out? I got a job in a little while," Pete mutters.

"What?"

"I'm spraying some furniture for a neighbor--"

"No, not that! Pete, what happened? I-- I thought..."

"Seriously, Sonny. You gotta leave."

Sonny stares at Pete in disbelief. He grabs his phone off the couch and speed-walks to the door, running off to a nearby park. He spends a couple hours at the park until he can go back home under the lie that he was at school.

\--

"Welcome back,” Usnavi says as he hears Sonny walk into the living room. He looks up and sees the upset look on his cousin's face. "Hey, hey, what happened?"

Sonny walks over to the couch against the wall and collapses onto it, letting out a heavy sigh. "Romance happened. Or almost happened, really."

"Ah." Usnavi gets up and moves over to the couch, nudging Sonny's feet off the cushion and sitting down. "Tell me what went down."

"I spilled everything, and-- and we almost kissed, but then..." Sonny curls up, holding the throw-pillow that had sat propped against the arm of the couch.

"Yeah?"

Sonny sits up and starts talking at a rapid pace. "Then they lean away and tell me to leave and won't explain why which is confusing 'cause they were the one who was hovering over me and about to fuckin' kiss me! He just just kicked me out outta nowhere!"

Usnavi does a double-take. "Wait, _he?_ " When he looks over at Sonny, his hand is over his mouth and his eyes are wide. There's a beat of silence, and suddenly Sonny is on his feet sprinting out the door. "Sonny, wait! Sonny!!"

Sonny isn't thinking. He can't think, not with the panic racing through him as he clambers down the apartment building's stairs and out the front door. Adrenaline is flooding his brain and his pulse spikes, making his mind go blank as he thinks of where to go. He passes by a small house and stops dead in his tracks, backing up a few steps.  
_Andre._ One of his school friends that he talks to on a daily basis. He runs up to the door and knocks, trying not to sound frantic. Andre answers the door and looks surprised to see Sonny.

"Sonny?" he says, opening the door wider. "What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Andre I fucked up bad," Sonny responds quickly. "Please, I need to talk to you."

"Uh, of course, come in." Andre puts a comforting arm around Sonny's shoulders as he walks in. He guides Sonny to his kitchen and gets a cup of water with some ice in it. He pushes it into Sonny's hands and makes sure he's holding it steadily. "Okay, tell me what happened."

Sonny's stomach flips as he realizes he'll have to come out to Andre too. "I... First off, please don't freak out about this. Please, please don't think of me differently." Andre cocks one eyebrow and nods. "I'm bisexual. I came out to Graffiti Pete and something almost went down and he kicked me out and I went home and accidentally came out to Usnavi and panicked and ran and now I'm here and--"

Andre cuts him off with a hand on his shoulder. "Sonny, it's okay," he says, a small smile on his face. "It's okay that you're bi. I'm actually kinda relieved."

"What? How come?"

Andre laughs nervously. "Don't tell no one, but I'm not exactly straight."

Relief floods through Sonny, almost extinguishing the anxiety in his chest. "Still figuring things out?"

"Yup. So anyways, what almost went down between you and Pete?"

"Uhm. He almost kissed me."

Now it’s Andre's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Damn. What happened to stop you?"

" _He_ did. He leaned away and told me to leave. I got upset and went home, and when I started venting to Usnavi I accidentally said 'he.'" Andre lets out a low whistle, eyebrows furrowed.

"How'd he react?"

"Did a double-take, said 'he?!' and just stared at me. He called my name when I ran, but I didn't hear if he said anything else."

"That's rough. I know my Pop wouldn't be happy if he knew I'm not straight, so I'm keeping it under wraps 'til I'm outta here."

"I shoulda done the same." Sonny takes a gulp of his water and sighs contentedly.

"You can crash here if you want," Andre suggests with a shrug.

"I can? You're sure?"

"I'll have to clear it with my parents, but they're okay with most of what I do."

Sonny puts down his water and pulls Andre into a hug. Andre seems surprised for a moment before hugging back. "Thank you," Sonny says quietly. "I'm really glad you're like me."

"I'm glad too," Andre responds in a whisper. The two pull apart and Sonny decides he has to send a text to Usnavi, though he ignores all the texts he had been sent.

 

__  
To: usnaviii  
im safe, at a friend's house. 

Sonny turns off his phone and spends the rest of the day watching television and eating junk food with Andre. He pushes his worries to the back of his mind and decides to pretend that everything will be fine.

\--

Sonny wakes up at two in the morning, his phone buzzing next to him. Andre is laying behind him, his arms wrapped around Sonny's middle. Sonny carefully untangles himself and looks at who could be calling him at this hour. His breath catches as Pete's contact name is displayed on the screen.

In a tired haze, Sonny decides to answer the phone.

_"Sonny! Where the _fuck_ are you?!"_

Sonny decides to step into the other room as to not wake Andre. He closes the door softly and takes a deep breath before responding. "What do you want?"

_"I want to know where you are! Usnavi's worried out of his mind, he's been asking around the barrio for hours!"_

"I told him I'm staying with a friend."

_"You fucking idiot. Either get your ass back home or to my apartment pronto."_

"Why should I listen to you?"

_"Because if you don't, I'll find you myself and you'll have more to cry about than just a rejection."_

That stung. "Fine," Sonny growls. "I'll be home in half an hour."

 _"You fucking better be. And don't think you're in the clear, with either of us."_ Click.

Sonny lets his arm drop back to his side and tries very hard to swallow the lump in his throat. He takes a few deep breaths, though they feel like they're fanning the flame in his lungs. Deciding that it's not worth keeping his emotions in, he goes back into the bedroom and shakes Andre awake.

"Sonny? Whats up?" Andre asks, his eyes fluttering open.

"I gotta go home," Sonny says with a sniffle. "Pete'll probably beat my ass if I don't."

"Well, shit. How long do you have?"

"It takes me about fifteen minutes to walk back, and I told Pete I'd be home in half an hour."

"Alright, cool. C'mere." Andre holds his arms out and Sonny practically falls against him.

"It's nice to do this without having to say 'no homo,'" Sonny mentions absentmindedly. Andre snorts with laughter and agrees, nuzzling the crook of Sonny's neck. They stay in that position for a few minutes, with Andre leaning against the headboard of the bed and Sonny settled over his legs. Sonny pulls away to get his phone and start to leave, but Andre catches his wrist. Sonny turns back to see what Andre wants, and suddenly he's being kissed. He reacts immediately, melting into Andre's arms and reciprocating. One of Andre's arms wraps around Sonny's waist, while the other hand comes to rest on the back of Sonny's neck. He tilts his head and deepens the kiss. Sonny lets him, draping his arms over Andre's shoulders.

The affection feels so good, so welcome. Sonny doesn't care that he doesn't really think of Andre that way. He doesn't care that he should be walking back soon. He does care, however, when his phone starts buzzing. He forces himself to break the kiss, taking a moment to lean his forehead against Andre's and catch his breath. As soon as he picks up his phone, the waves of anxiety are back. Usnavi is calling him.

"Fuck," he mumbles. 

"I could take the call for you and explain you're okay," Andre offers. 

"Would you?" Andre nods. "God, you're such a life saver." Sonny hands the phone to Andre and, the second he presses the answer button, Usnavi is rapid-fire swearing in Spanish.

_”_ Sonny you get your sorry ass back to the apartment right this fucking second! You have no idea how worried I was!! I don’t give a shit who you’re attracted two, but you better believe I care that you ran off and haven’t come back for eleven fucking hours! You better have a damn good explanation, kid. Explain yourself. NOW. _”_

“Uhm, hello Usnavi,” Andre starts awkwardly.

Usnavi pauses and switches back to speaking English. _”Who are you? Why do you have Sonny’s phone?”_

“This is Andre, one of Sonny’s friends. He’s been staying with me. He’s perfectly fine, and he’ll be back at the apartment soon.”

_”How do I know I can trust you?”_

“You can trust him,” Sonny pipes up. 

Usnavi sighs irritatedly. _”Alright. Sonny, you better get your ass home in ten minutes. We need to talk.”_ Click.

Andre sets down the phone and looks over at Sonny. Sonny stares back.

“Are we gonna talk about it…?” Andre asks meekly.

“How about tomorrow?”

“Deal. Good luck, Sonny. You know where I am if you need me.”

Sonny nods and hugs Andre one last time before grabbing his phone and leaving.

\--

Sonny opens the apartment door as quietly as possible. This proves to be pointless, as Usnavi flings the door open.

“Explain yourself.” Usnavi’s tone is hard and his gaze is even harder.

“I didn’t mean to say ‘he.’ I panicked and ran.”

“Okay. Now, what about skipping school?”

“What the fuck, how did you know about that?”

“Pete told me. Now, spill.”

“It’s the last week of school. Do you really think I’m gonna miss anything worth missing?”

Usnavi sighs. “You’re a mess. Go to bed, Sonny. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

Sonny doesn’t respond. He’s too tired. He just drags himself to his room and drops into bed.


	2. Author's Note

Okay so after reading through the entire thing I've decided that I hate it, and I'm gonna orphan the fic in an hour or two.

Everything is so rushed and everyone's so out of character and ahhh. Not to mention I'm trying to run three chaptered fics right now (all of which will be closed down by the end of today).

It's just overwhelming and I really don't like the way I portray other people's characters,, I don't like my writing in general to be completely honest.

Anyways, my mind is made up, all chaptered fics are going down today. I doubt I'll rewrite any of them, as all the concepts are bland and overdone. I'll keep up my work with original characters, because at least I can project my traits onto them with the dumb excuse that it's a new trait we haven't seen before... Right okay I need to stop talking

Adieu.


End file.
